The present invention relates generally to gas cooking devices and more particularly to an arrangement for providing a high power, high efficiency gas cooking apparatus.
The advantages of a gas cooking apparatus have been well recognized over the years. A gas cooking apparatus can quickly bring a heated surface to a desired temperature and may provide a high rate of heat exchange. The use of a heated surface, as opposed to a direct flame, allows cooking directly on the surface of the cooking apparatus as when grilling, brazing, frying or simmering.
Current gas cooking apparatuses may utilize multiple rows of burners located in various locations beneath the heated surface. The fuel is provided to a series of tubes with nozzles that bum the fuel in discrete locations. The use of several burners can cause several problems. Because each individual nozzle provides a discrete flame to a limited area, the heated surface develops hot and cold zones. Hot zones develop directly over each individual nozzle flame and cool zones develop between the nozzle flames. Previous attempts at solving this problem have been directed toward controlling the design of the burner placement under the heated surface. These efforts have resulted in elaborate and costly burners that merely multiply the number of hot and cold zones on the heated surface. Such elaborate burners require a correspondingly high degree of maintenance to ensure efficient operation. There is a need for an apparatus that combusts gas in such a way as to provide a uniformly heated surface to improve cooking performance.
Additionally, previous gas cooking apparatuses have had great difficulty in burning gas at a high rate in an efficient manner. As a result, gas cooking apparatuses were limited to brazing and simmering and did not have the capability to fry or to boil.
The present invention is a highly efficient and powerful gas cooking apparatus that provides even heat distribution to a surface. The present invention is a gas cooking apparatus having an enclosed gas combustion chamber that may simply be attached below a surface to be heated. The gas combustion chamber of the present invention may be bolted to the surface. The gas combustion chamber includes a pilot system, a large capacity burner, an open plenum chamber, and a controlled flame pattern baffle. The gas combustion chamber is enclosed below by a burner pan that serves to control the combustion of the gas within the chamber and also serves as a heat shield. The power and efficiency of the present invention allows one to fry and simmer. Prior systems do not have the capability to fry or simmer. Additionally, the power and efficiency of the present invention greatly increases the heat exchange rate of the gas cooking apparatus. For example, the present invention has the ability to bring water to a boil in 1/2 to 1/3 the amount of time required by previous gas cooking apparatuses.
The gas combustion chamber of the present invention evenly distributes heat to a surface by providing three zones of effect. Zone I experiences direct flame contact over the secondary burner, Zone II is an open plenum chamber with a saturated plate surface effect, and Zone III uses a controlled flame pattern baffle with graduated restrictions.
The present invention may use a novel single tee burner. Preferably, the burner has a central intake opening to an inner air/fuel distribution manifold within a tubular burner. The inner air/fuel distribution manifold may use holes of varying size and quantity to provide an evenly balanced distribution of an air/fuel mixture.
The present invention may use a pilot system which greatly improves pilot flame size and output. Such pilot flame improvements result in near instantaneous burner ignition. Burner ignition has been a problem especially associated with large or long burner assemblies. Large burners may either only partially light or blow big and dangerously. Traditionally, pilots have utilized an ambient air source. The present invention provides pressurized air to the pilot located within the combustion chamber. The pilot of the present invention provides burner ignition which is smoother, effective and faster than previous systems.
The present invention may also use a controlled flame pattern baffle which controls flame and hot gas propagation through the gas combustion chamber and also serves to suppress sound. The baffle has obstructions with varying size holes and spacing. The baffle may comprise a series of angles or channels. Alternatively, the baffle may comprise a plate having a series of bends to provide an open triangular design. An open triangular design improves pan strength, warp resistance, heat conductivity and significantly reduces noise or sound output of the gas cooking apparatus over channel baffles. The size of the triangular bends, and the size, shape and location of openings within the baffle may be varied to control flame and gas propagation through the combustion chamber.
The present invention may use a unique air and gas mixing chamber. A pintle style gas injection nozzle may be place within an orthogonal mixing chamber having comers. Air may be forced into the mixing chamber and the mixing chamber may induce turbulence to the air and gas flows to provide a highly effective mixing of the air and gas streams. A tubular manifold runner may be attached to the mixing chamber to ensure smooth efficient laminar delivery of the air and gas mixture to the distribution manifold or burner assembly. Previous systems utilized a Y-shaped junction of air and gas. The mixing chamber of the present invention mixes the air and gas much more effectively than prior systems.
The present invention may also provide versatility through a tilting mechanism and access designed for quick and easy maintenance. The present invention may provide either manual or electric motorized tilting of the gas component assembly. The gas component assembly of the present invention may be mounted to the cooking apparatus frame with plates bolted to shafts which are supported by bearings within the frame. The shafts may be driven either manually or by electric motor. The gas component assembly may be easily removed from the front of the cooking apparatus frame by unbolting these plates. Previous gas skillets welded the skillet to the frame which made it difficult to remove or install. The gas component assembly may include all required components within an enclosure with electrical flex conduits and flexible gas lines pre-installed for simplified testing, assembly and service. Should the gas component assembly fail for any reason, the assembly may be completely removed and replaced with another. The failed assembly may then be analyzed and repaired without preventing use of the gas cooking apparatus.
The present invention additionally provides a high/low control switch to control the intensity of the combustion. Such high/low control switches have never before been present on gas cooking apparatuses. The use of such a high/low control switch by the present invention provides a large degree of versatility to the gas cooking apparatus.
These and other advantages will be apparent from the following detailed description of the invention, drawings, and claims.